Day One: Operation Bhangra

Out at dinner last Sunday night, it finally hit home. Around 9:30pm everyone else at the table started getting "that look", and everyone knows that look. Someone yawns, someone checks their watch, and suddenly everyone starts thinking Monday thoughts. The weirdest feeling ever was, after seven years, this was the first time I didn't have that feeling. 

Monday morning was all about sleeping. I lived as much as I could over my career in trading, and sleep was the element that was sacrificed for so long. My computer alarm that plays "Intervention" by the Arcade Fire on my desktop went off (an amazing alarm song if you're looking for one), but it was a great feeling to fall right back into bed. 

That evening was Challenge #1. I worked out for a few hours and then walked over to the classroom at the NYSC near me. I had seen many times a bunch of women in there dancing Bollywood style, and saw that the class was a 5:30pm "Masala Bhangra". Around 5:15  I nervously paced around the classroom and saw the lady who instructs the class with two other women doing some absolutely insane looking bhangra shit, and got a bit apprehensive. After standing there and telling myself the entire tone of my "severance kid" period came down to this singular decision, I walked in. I told the teacher that I had never done any formal dance class like this and after a standard "are you Indian? you don't look Indian" conversation, she said "as long as you have no shame you'll be fine". Jackpot.

The class was amazing and will definitely stay on the roster. After an exhausting 45 minutes where I'm sure I look ridiculous, she closed out the class playing that song from the very end of Slumdog Millionaire and you do the whole routine you learned throughout the class to it.  Three days later, my legs are still sore, but I'm definitely headed back as this was exactly the absurdity I seek. Next Monday at 5:30pm if you're around.

The teacher, Sarina Jain, on Youtube